Largemouth Bass in Oregon
Where Oregon largemouth bass turn up, and how many go home.
- 5 a daybag
- 12 lb 1.6 ozrecord
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largemouth bass and the ODFW zone tables
Oregon writes the largemouth bass limit into its "Bass" entry rather than a row of its own. As printed for the Northwest Zone: Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit.
ODFW lists 12 lb 1.6 oz as the top fish, B. Adam Hastings, 2002, Ballenger Pond, Springfield. Start with Upper Klamath Lake, Lake Umatilla and Lake Wallula; 158 Oregon water pages carry it.
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| Zone | Row as printed | Bag and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Zone | Bass | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except tidewater. |
| Northwest Zone | Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P. | No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except tidewater. |
| Southwest Zone | Bass | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons. |
| Southwest Zone | Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P. | No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons. |
| Willamette Zone | Bass | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except mainstem Willamette River and sloughs and. |
| Willamette Zone | Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow P. | No limit, unless noted under Exceptions. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except mainstem Willamette River and sloughs and. |
| Central Zone | Bass | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons only, except portions of Columbia River tributaries. |
| Northeast Zone | Bass | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons only, except portions of Columbia River tributaries. |
| Southeast Zone | Bass | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. No limit in the southwest corner of the Southeast Zone. Streams: No limit. | Lakes and Reservoirs: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout season. |
| Snake River Zone | Bass | Lakes/Reservoirs: 6 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. | Open all year. |
| Columbia River Zone | Bass, Striped Bass, Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, other Sunfis. | No limit. | Open all year. |
| Marine Zone | General Marine Species: Rockfish ("sea bass", "snapper"), Gr. | Bag limits are set after this book is printed. Check current regulations before fishing on the Sport Bottomfish Seasons page. Retention of yelloweye and quillback rockfishes is prohibited. | Waters are open 24 hours per day. The offshore long-leader fishery is limited to fishing seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory. |
| Marine Zone | Striped Bass and/or Hybrid Bass | No limit | Waters open all year, 24 hours per day, unless noted under Management Designations for Marine Areas. |
Limits as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (eRegulations), read November 2, 2026.
Heaviest largemouth bass recorded in Oregon
| Listed as | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass, Largemouth | 12 lb 1.6 oz | B. Adam Hastings | Ballenger Pond, Springfield | 2002 |
Oregon record fish as listed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (record fish article, dated March 4, 2026), read November 2, 2026.
Finding largemouth bass in Oregon
Still water for largemouth bass
- Upper Klamath Lake62,057 acres
- Lake Umatilla50,097 acres
- Lake Wallula32,492 acres
- Brownlee Reservoir13,880 acres
- Lake Owyhee11,112 acres
- Agency Lake10,312 acres
- Wickiup Reservoir10,170 acres
- Crump Lake8,482 acres
- Hart Lake7,211 acres
- Fern Ridge Lake6,576 acres
- Crane Prairie Reservoir4,380 acres
- Warm Springs Reservoir4,136 acres
- Lookout Point Lake4,083 acres
- Lake Billy Chinook3,852 acres
- Gerber Reservoir3,811 acres
- Detroit Lake3,590 acres
- Siltcoos Lake3,286 acres
- Sturgeon Lake3,163 acres
- Diamond Lake3,038 acres
- Davis Lake3,017 acres
- Prineville Reservoir2,861 acres
- Hills Creek Lake2,590 acres
- Lost Creek Lake2,522 acres
- Tahkenitch Lake2,324 acres
Streams mapped with largemouth bass
- Willamette RiverMultnomah County
- Deschutes RiverSherman County
- Columbia RiverClatsop County
- John Day RiverWheeler County
- Coquille RiverCoos County
- Tualatin RiverClackamas County
- Grande Ronde RiverWallowa County
- Molalla RiverClackamas County
- Snake RiverUmatilla County
- Klamath RiverJosephine County
- Owyhee RiverMalheur County
- Santiam RiverMarion County
- Sprague RiverKlamath County
- Williamson RiverKlamath County
- Wood RiverKlamath County
- Clatskanie RiverColumbia County
- Yamhill RiverYamhill County
- Calapooia RiverLinn County
ODFW Fish Habitat Distribution layers (ODFW ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; a mapped species is habitat use ODFW records, not a catch report.
Kin of largemouth bass on the Oregon list
- Hybrid White Bassfreshwater
- Smallmouth Bassfreshwater
- Striped Bassboth
Camera views of fishing water around Largemouth Bass
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Public domain
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
What Oregonians ask about largemouth bass
How many largemouth bass can go home per day in Oregon?
Using the Northwest Zone table: Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. Zones vary.
Where did the Oregon largemouth bass record come from?
12 lb 1.6 oz from Ballenger Pond, Springfield in 2002, angler B. Adam Hastings.
What Oregon lake or river is good for largemouth bass?
It appears on 158 pages, among them Upper Klamath Lake, Lake Umatilla and Lake Wallula.
Do any Oregon waters set their own largemouth bass rule?
It has no water exception.
When is largemouth bass season open in Oregon?
The Northwest Zone row gives: Lakes: Open all year. Streams: (including tidewaters and bays): Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except tidewater areas of Columbia. In-season changes are posted on MyODFW.
Does the plain angling license cover largemouth bass or is a tag needed too?
An Oregon angling license ($50 resident, $138 nonresident for 2026) covers anglers 12 and older; salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut go on a Combined Angling Tag ($69 resident).
Who keeps the Oregon largemouth bass record?
Record claims are handled by ODFW; see its record fish article for the steps.
How does ODFW name largemouth bass?
Oregon tables call it Bass, Largemouth and Largemouth Bass.
Plan an Oregon trip for largemouth bass
Every linked water spells out its launches and booklet exceptions.